Beer: Reviews & Ratings

I was a big fan of this beer and I hope they give it another try sometime. The peach flavor was unusual and very interesting, and it was a great special release for a bomber. I snagged one a while after it was released and it was still good, so if they ever do it again I'll look for it right away next time. (310 characters)

O - Overall a good beer. Nice chocolatey base beer with some fruity character that complements pretty well. Glad to have gotten an opportunity to try this one - one that slipped past my radar screen. (715 characters)

Taste: Rich roasty chocolate. Hard edges of bitter cocoa. Nice layers of oak tempered by some juicy peach sweetness. Both flesh and skin. Building lactic tart edge. Lots oak, which builds as the beer warms. Almost tannic at times. Green apple skin. Some musty notes in the back as well. Earthy. Bitter pithy fruit. Some citrus. Even some.cherry in the mix. Lots of fruit, and crazy roast.

Mouthfeel: Moderately heavy Mouthfeel with a smooth, light side if moderate carbonation. Smooth with a tiny bit of backing dryness.

Overall: Oven roasted peaches.

Nice depth. Great use of fruit. Malt profile ends up being a bit too aggressive. A fresh bottle would have been ideal, but a bit of age doesn't make it bad by any means. (1,138 characters)

nearly a two year old bottle. pours hersheys syrup dark brown with a surprisingly jovial tan head. the nose is very dark nearly burnt malts, a hint of tobacco, and sweet peaches. smells like summer meets fall in a glass. the peaches are not super intense in the taste. they provide some sweetness up front, but the fruity aspect doesnt really come in until the finish. in between is a very well balanced (and big) american porter. the alcohol must have relaxed since this was fresh. it is hardly detectable at all, and added a nice warmth to the feel. its also quite woody, which works well with the rich malt profile. mouthfeel was good. it retained much of its carbonation, which helped all the subtle flavors mesh on my palate. very drinkable for a big dark fruity beer. i would suggest this to anyone looking for something different. youve never had a beer like this. (871 characters)

T: More of the roasted malts, bitter dark chocolate and faint coffee beans are first. The peaches come in mid-palate and into the finish. Plenty of fresh peach flavor with just the right amount of tartness to work against the big malt bill.

M: Well carbonated, a bit more than it should be for an "Imperial Porter" but the soured nature of the beer makes this enjoyable. Somewhat dry in the linger.

This one sounded really interesting and I'm glad it was pulled off well. The peaches and dark malts were balanced just right without either overreaching. (925 characters)

The Big Dooper pulled this one out on a random beer night a few weeks back. This bottle is well over a year old and was signed by the brewer no less. Cheers for this one man!

From a 75cl bottle into a snifterBottled on 18 Feb 2011

APPEARANCE: A transparent brown pour yields a large, three finger, supper fizzy, looser, light brown head with good retention. Bistre brown body with piles of carbonation evident. A foamy wisp remains until the end and leaves lots of foamy lacing down the glass. Head was a little lack luster and the carbonation was a little much, but it settled a bit by the end.

SMELL: A touch of dark malts, tart peaches and some oak notes. Quite tart on the nose, but not complex or bold enough to be memorable.

TASTE: Dark malts with some funky tart sourness form the wild yeast. Oak is there as well. Mild but lingering aftertaste shows some tart sourness, oak, hints of roasted malts and a touch of dark chocolate. Peaches aren't really all that evident anymore, unfortunately, though it is plenty tart and sour regardless.

PALATE: Medium-full body and higher levels of carbonation, though it seems to fit the beer well. Enough weight, quite creamy on the palate, goes down fine and finishes slightly dry.

OVERALL: A pretty decent wild porter, though I can't help but thing that the extra 1+ year on the bottle didn't do much to help. The peaches are definitely in the background at this point, which is unfortunate. It would have been interesting to try this beer fresh, as it would probably have been much more impressive. Regardless, this was a fun beer to try. Thanks for the beer night Doops; always good times. (1,650 characters)

Aroma is tart. Cocoa and burnt caramel. Some black strap leather and, yes, peaches. But not sweet peaches. More like peach flowers.

And the taste follows. The peaches give the beer a tart/sourness that goes against the cocoa and coffee. It just doesn't mesh well for me. I think this bottle is 1 year old, so maybe it was better fresh. Not that it's bad. It's just a tad chaotic. The peach flavor, if there was one, is gone. Peach "tannin" is left. And this covers any hops that were used. (731 characters)

T: Holy sour! Did not expect a sour ale with the description. There is a smoky flavor within the sourness with a moderate sweetness.

M: Medium bodied beer with a dry finish. Slight warmth in the belly after a few sips.

O: This was a surprising beer. I don't know if this was maybe contaminated with a wild yeast but it was damn tasty! I could not perceive a whole lot of peaches in this beer considering how many were used. Would love to drink this beer again. (646 characters)

From the label I expected a strong port with a fruity/peach undertone. That's now really what I got. My first impression was, "Wow, that's different". I wish it had more peach and roasted barley flavors. In a blind taste I would never had guessed this was an imperial porter.

A - Pours a deep brown/black color without any visibility through the glass and a dark creamy tan head. Certainly looked the part of imperial porter.

S - Very slight fruit aroma with a bit of roast. Subtle hints of tart sour but not much.

T - Slightly tart and barely sour with a sweet citrus flavor. Not much in terms of roasted malt. Not much of a hot alcohol flavor I expected.

M - Very good mouthfeel and very pleasant.

D - Very drinkable beer. Not too overwhelming in terms of alcohol considering the ABV. Easy to drink as the 750ml didn't last long.

Dark brown pour, thin dark tan ring of head that is pretty small on top. Maybe the first time I have smelled fruit, peach, and the roastiness of a porter. Good tartness to the peach aroma, just two smells that you haven't come across in the same beer probably.

Mild brett taste, light sour and peach notes, good roasty malt bitterness, slight alcohol twitch. Some sticky chocolate in there. Middle of the road complimentary oak flavor, not big on the wood, the woodcut type, this isn't all that dry and pronounced. Throw in a smidge of molasses maybe.

This beer can't be for everyone, but I think its a winner. A little pricey, I think I was picking these up for around $13 while I was in Arizona, but overall, I'd buy it again if I saw it. (743 characters)

A: This one pours a two finger tan head on top of a rich, dark body. Good lacing on the sides with a nice head retention

S: Lots going on. Citrus, funk, a little chocolate, zest, cherries?

T: Very bretty/funky. The peach comes through quite well. Is it wrong of me to wish for more chocolate on this one? I didn't have it fresh so I can't speak to it's changes in character. Further through there is some orange and a slightly chocolate-creamy finish

M: This was a strength. Great creamy feel with just the right carbonation.

O: I wasn't sure what to expect. There is a lot that went into this beer: 45% ale with peaches added19% ale aged in oak36% ale aged in oak with peachesAnd a lot of that character comes through. Would've enjoyed more chocolate flavors to complement the peach but overall very enjoyable. (885 characters)

Poured into my snifter, it appears a thick, murky, opaque inky black. When held to the light, and watching the stream of liquid as it falls from the bottle, it fades to a matte coffee bean brown with hints of auburn peeking out just beneath the foam. Avant Pêche builds a rather mediocre two-finger thick head of a wheat-colored bubbly cream that falls in on itself from the inside out, leaving some thin lacing on the glass while dollops of foam gather in patches throughout the middle.

The nose carries nothing overwhelming, everything in the aroma is presented in a pretty soft harmony. It begins with a delicious subtle peach, sour cherry and pear, followed by very faint hints of tart citrus, light roasted coffee and bits of chocolate. Damp oak and wet leaves begin to proliferate soon after, and carry warm notes of spiced molasses and toasted bready malts. Some mild wild yeast aromas pepper the scent overall, but are hidden fairly well along with the alcohol, which is hardly discernible over the fruit and roasts.

Finally dipping my tongue into the brew, it opens with an initial tart, juicy, natural peach flavor enveloped in a smooth oak. It continues with thin toasted malts; then the sweetness of the peach rises, and it finishes with chocolate and a slight bitter pinch of roasted coffee right at the end. There was a small wave of heat from the alcohol as it warmly washed over my throat and into my belly as I finished the swallow. The peaches in this seem to be a combination of fruit that has dropped from the tree and has begun to ferment, as well as fruit that has just turned ripe and is ready to pick. It was easy to imagine I was in the middle of an orchard right as summer faded into fall, which is the image I was absolutely hoping for when I picked this bottle up 6 months ago.

In conclusion, the feel is fairly crisp in the first few tastes, and it smooths to an airy, creamy velvet as my taste buds acclimate to the flavors. It presents itself with a medium body and soft carbonation, while a warming alcohol sensation grows through my chest. Finishes clean and dry, leaving my mouth watering for more. Definitely a delicious beer that is perfect for summer or fall, as it’s not a heavy porter, and it’s not a light fruit beer, it’s the perfect combination of both. (2,305 characters)

Pours a very deep brown with a thin mocha head. Aroma is lots of syrupy, caramelized malts, almost a burnt marshmallow type smell. Some fruitiness on the nose though I would not have placed it as peach without knowing that peaches were added. The taste is where this beer really opens up. The syrupy burnt marshmallow opens to a balance of roasted malts, caramelization and oak. The fruitiness on the nose opens up to a tart combination of peaches, with a hit of acidity and funk. The bitter, sweet and tart are perfectly balanced on the palate. The mouthfeel and carbonation are just right for this style, it is a big beer but you are not overwhelmed with alcohol or carbonation, there is just enough present to support the complex flavors of the beer. Overall this is a very interesting beer. When I bought it, I didn't realize that it was a blend, some components having "wild yeast" in them so I was impressed with the complexity that it brought to the table.

pours dark black with a big frothy cream colored head. Smells of fermenting peaches. Super smooth drinking. Light bodied for a porter. tons of lace. Where to begin with taste? This is a very complex beer. Somewhat tart flavor with mild roasted malt. Peachy sweetness balanced the beer nicely. Alcohol compliments the flavor profile. Other flavors of oak and roasted grain. Dry finish.

This one is worth seeking out for its complexity and unique character. A GREAT beer for sure! I will be finding this one again. It pushes the limits of traditional brewing. This is the direction that modern brewing needs to take. Creating new styles, experimenting, innovating. My hat is off to Odell. (726 characters)

(A) Pours dark, opaque brown/black. Has a foamy tan head that hangs around for a long while. Leaves lacing.

(S) Peach and toasted malts blend together and make it obvious that this is indeed a porter with a fruity twist. There are some sweet hops amidst cocoa and some other lighter fruits and some citrus.

(T) Lightly citrus and acidic. There's some cereal and a bit of biscuit from the toasted malts. Cherry and peach make up the middle of the flavor and it ends with cocoa and coffee, just like a porter should.

(M) It's a medium bodied brew that is slightly acidic on the palate. It's not as grainy as most porters.

(O) This one was different. After reading the description, this beer lived up to what was written on the bottle to a T. It's a really neat take on a porter and was well executed. (845 characters)

Pours deep deep brown, almost black, but with a hint of lightness at the edges. Medium-tan head, almost overflowing the glass, billowing up and out. Great retention and nice lacing.

Smell is mostly strong syrupy peaches - as if they've been soaking in sugar water. It clearly takes on some sweetness from the malts, but the peaches add a dimension to the smell that wouldn't otherwise be there. I don't get a ton of porter character here.

Taste is more balanced - lighter on the peach, heavier on the dark roasted malts. I like it, but there's some asynchrony between the dark coffee flavors of the roasted malts and the light fruitiness of the peaches. A peach porter just doesn't quite work out for me.

Mouthfeel is great - heavy bodied, but high carbonation to lighten it up. Finish is sweet and smooth.

Turns out, for me, peach porter is good, but not great. The combination just doesn't quite work - the peaches are too light, the porter too dark, for them to blend well. But all in all, it's a very good beer. (1,019 characters)

T - Sweet peaches really dominate here. Chocolate and roast in the background, along with a drier finish that somehow sneaks through the peaches. Flavors not really in harmony with each other, leaving a rough feel to the beer overall.

M - Medium

O - Always happy to try these more inventive Odell's brews, but this one strikes me as an interesting idea that didn't quite come together. Tough to blend a delicate flavor like peach with a higher gravity porter. Definitely worth a try, however. (632 characters)